Automobile heating system



Sept. 23, 1941. G. E. ONISHI ETAL AUTOMOBILE HEATING SYSTEM Filed June16, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTORNEY.

P 1941- G. E. ONISHI ETAL 2,256,724

AUTOMOBILE HEATING SYSTEM File'd June 16, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I VENTOR.

2am {am ATTORNEY p 1941- G. E. omsn-u ET AL 2,256,724

AUTOMOBILE HEATING SYSTEM Filed June 16, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VENTOR.

LUIIIIJ] ATTORNEY: I

drafts Patented Sept. 23, 1941 2,256,724 AUTOMOBILE HEATING sYs'rEMGeorge E.

'Bfilld, Ind..

- Delaware Onishi and Albert M. Nor-an n, South asslgnors to TheStudebaker Corporation, South Bend, Ind a corporation of ApplicationJune 1c, 1938, Serial No. 214,004.

1's Claims. (01. 98-2) This invention relates to automobile heatingsystems, and more particula'rlyis directed to a system which willimprove thecirculation of heated air within the vehicle and effect amore uniform temperature throughout all parts of the Vehicle.

In conventional heating systems as now used in passenger and commercialautomotive vehicles, the heating means is disposed adjacent the bulkheador dashboard of the vehicle, and has an outlet controlled by louvres,baiiies or the like for directing air from the heater into the forwardcompartment ofthe vehicle. This results in a very, ineffectivedistribution of heat, due to drafts within the vehicle, and the factthat the fan has not sufficient force to effect any widespreaddistribution of the heated air. Also, the baflies retard free flow ofthe heated air and also are cumbersome, subject to rattling, and ingeneral undesirable.

In such systems, it is practically impossible to obtain any effectiveheating of the rear seat compartment, and additional heating means isrequired for this purpose. Another disadvantage of prior heatingsystems, especially of the hot water type, has been the recirculation ofvitiated air whichv is unhealthy and undesirable.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a heating systemwherein the air iscontinuously introduced into the interior ofthe carunder suflicient pressure to prevent any infiltration of unconditionedair through window or door cracks, or in any other mannenand providesfor exhaust of such air by exfiltration, fresh air being continuouslydrawn into the system.

One of the main objects of the present invention, is to eliminate fromthe space at the toe board ,and dashboard, heretofore occupied by theheater, any heating means, and to dispose the heating mechanism beneaththe front seat, out of sight and occupying no space required for thecomfort of the occupants of the vehicle.

This produces distinct advantages in that the heated air is introducedalong the-floor of the car, both forwardly and rearwardly, where cold remost likely to be encountered, and assure warmth at the feet of theoccupants, which was not attainable to any appreciable extent in priortypes of heating units.-

Another feature of the present sides in drawing the fresh air into theheating system from beneath the door andabove the running board. Thisassures-a clean supply of fresh air in no way contaminated by enginefume or the like, with the inlet adequately pro invention re tected fromrain and dust. The use of such an.

inlet also eliminates engine noises and wind effects due to rapidforward movement of the vehicle.

Still another advantage obtained in the present system is theutilization of the base of the seat assembly as a means of directing theheated air from the system out laterally along the floor of the car inall directions. A portion of this heated air flows forwardly andupwardly into the space. between the instrument panel and dashboard,

where suitable means may be provided to utilize this portion of the air.for defrosting purposes by directing it over the windshield. 'Normalconvection currents cause the heated air to rise from the floor,insuring a substantially uniform heating of the entire interior of thecar, thus preventing frosting up of any of the windows and l at the.same time insuring comfort to all occupants.

' It is also contemplated, in the present inven- I tion, to provide asystem wherein aircan be to effect some humidification of the air withinv drawn into the heater from either side of the vehicle, and whereineither one or two heating means can be employed, depending upon windconditions and temperatures desired. This insures a more than adequatesupply of fresh air for all purposes, and at the same time occupies noadditional space within the body of the car.

In this connection it may be desirable at times the car. This may beaccomplished by employing a suitable hydrostatic control for admixing acertain amount of return air with the fresh aiminasmuch as the returnair is humidified by the occupants of the vehicle due to the moistureexhaled with each breath- This is adequate to insure comfortableconditions of temperature and humidity within the vehicle.

Still another advantage of the present. invention is the mounting of theduct means, fan andv heater below the floor of the car, taking up nobody space, and disposed in such,manner as to reduce to an appreciableextent .any noises incident to operation of the system. This is furtherenhanced by the resilient noise insulation employed in the mounting ofthe assembly, thereby providing no transmission of vibrations ofoperation in the interior of the car.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear morefully from the following detailed description which, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings, will disclose to thoseskilled in the art the particular In the drawings:

system;.

1 2' aasaraai construction and operationiof a form of the presentinvention. i j Figure 1 is a side elevationalview or a vehicle 1einbodyingthe present invention;

1 Figure 2 is-a plan viemfrom the door board of the apparatus employed;in the presentheating Figure 3 is a sectional elevations] view, takensubstantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevationalview taken v substantially on lineHot Figure 2:- Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view of a modifiedform of the invention; and

1 Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, showing-a still furthermodified form of the invention.

Considering now the form of invention shown in Figures 1 to 4, wehaveindicatedin Figure l i a vehicle l0 having avehicle body providedwith front doors I! and a running board it, and also I provided withafront, -transversely extending 1 seat ll which, as shown clearly inFigures 3 and 4, i mounted on the bracket II for 'fore and aft 9movement upon the supports. it to adjust the 1 position of the seat forvarious drivers. The supports ii are bolted in any suitable manner tothe operating pedals 23 are adapted to extend. A

The heating means of the present invention is -j. l ted to. be supp rtedupon the floor board I! and comprises a heater unit of the finned coiltype j such :as commonly employed in previous conventional typesofhotwate'r heaters, and has the inlet connection I2 and outlet connection33* extending from suitable headers in the heater forwardly through theconduits 34 .3l,-re-

'speotively, .to suitable connections at the engine or radiator ofthevehicle. The floor. board If is. provided with a suitably shoulderedopening for. receiving the'top surface of the heater, and a i suitablefelt or resilient gasket member I] is disposed. between the headers lland "-39 of the heater into the surface of the floor'board to cushionthe heater with respect to the floor board and to prevent thetransmission of noises therebetween. These extend along'theftwolongitudinal sides of the heaterwhere the headers are located and theheater itself. is supported upon a the particles of dirt and dustremoved therefrom. Extending laterally from the chamber- 80 floor boardn as indicated at is i Figures 3 f and4.

The vehicle shown in Figure -1 is also provided. with a steering post llextendingthrough'the.

j dashboard or bulkhead 20 which at its lower end terminates in a toeboard II through which the of housing B l as indicated by the bolts SI,or which may be weldedthereto if desired. Y i

"The bottom plate "is provided with an annular raised rib portion 56which forms a centering means for an annular illter 51 which may be ofthe type used in air cleaners and the like, comprising two coaxial metalscreens having a metalfan and heater. The cleaner 5! is of an axialextent such that itcloses the space between the lower end of themembeLfl and the bottom plate 53, thereby causing all of the air whichenters the fan chamber to pass through this filter and have formed bythe member Ill and the bottom plate 53 is a duct which is provided bythe continuation 82.01. the floor board I! at its upper surface and isdefined by a bottom member 53 which extends over-thechannel-shaped' siderail SI and at its outer end is secured to the base of the door sill asindicated at 68. Also secured at'the point 65 is the running board Itwhich may be of any de-. I sired configuration and above this runningboard is the door sill member 68 which is engaged by the door I! as itswings. into position in line with the side of the vehicle. Suitablerubber padding 01 insures an air tight seal between the door I 2 and thesill portion 66.

In order to admit air into the duct 68 formed bythe wall portions 62 and63;there is provided in the bottom of the door sill portion 68 a plurality of spaced openings "as indicated clearly in Figure 2. The openings'69 communicate with suitable openings 10 formed in the door sill member 88 which in turn open into the duct 68. It is thus-apparent thatairmay pass .from below the door 12 and above the running board through theopening 69 and the adjoining opening 10 into the duct 88 and may bedrawn by the fan I! through the .cleaner 5! and forced upwardly throughthe heater 3}). into the interior of the car. Inasmuch as the openings69 are below the openings It, it is obvious that upon airbeing flange IIor a supporting member "disposed member 42 .is secured to-the floorboard by me'ans drawn through the openings 69 there will be nopossibility of water also being drawn through these openings as anywater carried by the air into the openings 69 will, by gravity, flowback through these openings on to the running board it. This is anessential advantage in that it eliminates any possibilityof water beingpulled into the heating system and at the same time insures a positivesupply of fresh,'clean air to the heating means. It will also be notedthat the openings 89 are so positioned .as to be out of the -J-way ofdirect drafts due tomovement or the of the supporting plates ll whichare suitably at tached to the member 42 and at their upper ends areflanged, as indicated at. 46, and are adapted to .besecured to the floorboard by means of bolts 41. The motor 44 is supported by a diagonallyextending arm 48 which is connected to the member 42, as shown clearlyin Figures 3 and 4.

The entire heater and fan assembly is housed Y within a substantiallysemi-cylindrical housing.

50 secured at its top-to the floor board II by means of the flange 52which may be spot welded thereto or may be bolted thereto, and which atits bottom is closed by the bottom plate 53 which is preferably boltedto theflange 54 at the lower end vehicle, and, consequently, no'appreciablevariajtions of pressure at the openings '8 will be producedsothat the heating system will operateina more or less constant manner.

when the fresh air from below the door of. the

vehicle is drawn-through the chamber formed by the member -50 andforcedupwardly through the heater 3 it is heated .to an appreciable ex-' tentand 'is discharged into the space between the base H of the seat. M andthe floor board l1. As-

a result, the air must be directed both fore and aft of the vehicle bodyalong the. floor thereof from beneath the seat ll. This insures that theair will move along the floor around the feet of the occupants, thusproviding warmth and comfort for both front and rear seat passengersand, p

, I 2,250,724 due to convection currents, the air will rise up-' wardlyto thereby insure a more or less uniform. temperature throughout theinterior of the vehicle. This is of distinct advantage in preventingfrosting of windows as well as insuring complete comfort for alloccupants-of the car.

In addition. it will be noted by the arrows in Figure 1 that a certainportion of air being discharged forwardly from beneath the seat I4 willpass upwardly into the space between thedashboard 20 and the instrumentpanel 20. Thus, air

which is collected in'thi's space may be employed for defrosting thewindshieldas by means of the mechanism indicated diagrammatically at [2which may include ducts leading up to the interior surface of thewindshield and which may be provided with afan or the like, indicated atI3, if it is found necessary that positive conduction of air to thewindshield is required.

' It should be understood that the fan 43 in the present invention. isof a capacity such'that it forces the heated air, under pressure, intothe interior'of the vehicle. a This prevents any possibility ofunconditioned air passing into the interior of the vehicle throughwindow cracks, door cracks or the like, and also serves for preventingthe admission of dust into the interior of the car. Due to the factthatthe air is underpressure within the vehicle, the vitiated air isexhausted through door cracks, windows and the being admitted. to thevehicle becomes too dry for comfort, the. hydrostat may be set tooperate for opening passageways I03 and I04 by means of the jointedconnections I05 into the dampers I06 and I01, respectively. Thisprovides for admission of air from within the car body into the duct 68and inasmuch as moisture is introduced into this return air "by theoccupants of the vehicle in. normal breathing action, a certain amountof humidity will be admixed with the fresh air by the mixing of thisreturn air therewithin the duct68. This,.therefore, provides forincreasing'thehumidity of the air being admitted to the heatingsystem toproduce a more comfortable condition within the vehicle if such isrequired due to extreme dryness of the outside air. However, thiscondition does not occur'frequently and the installation of thehydrostat I00 is considered optional.

like and the'entire supply of conditioned air to the car is made up offresh, outside air filtered seat 84 is provided, mounted upon a base 85suitably supported for movement-on the supports.

In this embodiment of the invention, two laterally extending ducts.0'Iand 08 are provided, each of which conducts fresh outside air frombeneath the doors 02 through openings 00 in the door sill members 90 andducts 81 and 00,-to the conditioning chambers 02. 'Each of theconditioning chambers is provided with a filter 93, a

fan 94 operated by the motor 95, and a heater 06 in much the same manneras described in connection with Figures 2, 3 and 4. However, the spacebetween the chambers 02 is provided ,with a common connecting duct 91which is provided with anarched portion 00 fitting over the propellershaft 90 of the vehicle.

With this'constr'uction it is apparent that fresh air may be drawn fromeither side of the vehicle into either of the chambers 92 .by reason ofthe cross connectionS'I and, consequently, under very adverse windconditionsv with a strong side wind on one side of the car, there wouldbe no possibility of starving the heating means due to a vacuum producedon the opposite side of the vehicle In the construction which isdisclosed in Figure 6 the parts are substantially identical with thosedescribed in connection with Figure 3 with the exception that theportion 02 of the floor board has mounted thereon a hydrostat indicatedat I 00 and provided with an actuating arm I02, This hydrostat.isresponsive to humidity conditions within the vehicle sothat if theheated air It is therefore believed apparent that wehave :provided anovel type of heating means for'vehicles in which air may be drawn fromthe sides of the vehicle beneath the floor thereof, cleaned andheated,-and discharged" upwardly through the floor against the base ofthe front seat. This base then acts as a baffle for directing the airfore and aft beneath the seat around the feet of the occupants of thevehicle and a portion of the air may also be collected and used forwindshield defrosting purposes. The construction shown is simple indesign and operation and it is to be understood that it maybe subjectedto'the same type of control as now used for securing any desired rangeof speed, while thermostatic controls may be employed for the heater toinsure the proper temperature therein.

We are aware that a number of changes may be made in certain details ofconstruction andv design of the present disclosure" and we therefore donot intend to beglimited except as defined by the appended claims;

We claim: 4 a 1. A method of heating the interior; of a vehicle having aseat" and a floor, which comprises drawing air laterally below saidfloor from the side of the vehicle,-heating said air, dischargingitupwardly against the bottom of the seat, and deflecting said air bythe bottom of the seat o direct it along the floor of the vehicle.

2. A method of heating the interior of a vehicle body having forward andrear seat compartments and a seat intermediate said compartments whichcomprises drawing air laterally through a duct positioned beneath thefloor of said vehicle body, discharging said air upwardly against thebottom .of said seat and heating the same during its upward movement,and directing said air along the floor of thevehicle body simultaneouslyinto both compartments.

' said dashboard, the method of heating the in- 3. In a vehicle bodyhaving a floor, a seat spaced thereabove, 'a dashboard, an instrumentpanel spaced therefrom, and a windshield above .terior of said bodyincluding said windshield which comprises, drawing air laterally beneaththe floor of said body into 'a heater chamber, discharging said heatedair upwardly from said chamber through said floor against the base ofsaid seat,'di recting' said heated air fore and aft of said seat alongthe top of said floor, collecting a portion of the heated air in thespace between said dashboard and instrument panel, and

discharging said collected portion of air against the inner surface ofsaid windshield.

4. In combination with the floor board or a vehicle having a seatmounted thereon, a heater disposed beneath said floor board and havingan 1 ,"outlet openingv therethrough, a chamber sur- 7 rounding aidheater having a duct extending lat-,

' 'erally to one side ofthe vehicle, inlet openings through which saiddischarged said horizontal passageway..

in said duct at said side, and fan means in said cham r for drawing airthrough said duct and forcing the same out through said heater and thefioor boardagainst the bottom of said seat whereby the heated air isdirected laterally along said fioor board.

.5. The combinationof claim 4 having a filter for said air in said ductanterior-to said heater.

6. Ina vehicle having a floor. a seat having its base disposed abovesaid fioor to define a horizontal air passageway therebetween, meansdefining a chamber depending from said floor and having a laterallyextending inlet, an annular air filter in said chamber, a fan mountedvertically in said chamber within said filter for drawing. air from saidinlet through said filter and dischargin'gthe same upwardly, and heatingmeans through which said discharged air passes into said horizontalpassageway. v

7. In a vehicle having a floor, a seat having its base disposed abovesaid fioor to define a horidefining a chamber depending from said fioorand having a laterally extending inlet; an annular air filter in saidchamber, a fan mounted vertically in said chamber within said filter fordrawing air from ,saidinlet through said filter and disbetween said duct.and chamber, air heating--- fioor, a seat having its base spaced abovethe" floor to define therebetween a horizontal passage'-,

way opening both lore and aft of said seat-oia duct extending beneathsaid floor having an inletopening at one lateral side .01} the vehicle,an annular chamber depending from said floor beneath said seat, meansforming a passageway means disposed above said chamber and'havingoutlets opening into said passageway, and a fan in said chamber fordrawing air through said. duct into said chamber and discharging saidair through said heating means into'said passageway beneath said ,seat.

11. In a vehicle a floor, a seat having its basesupported in spacedrelation to said floor to define therebetween a horizontal airpassageway, the method of heating the interior of,

' said vehicle fore and aft of said seat which comprises, drawing freshair in laterally from the side said vehicle, conducting said air up overthe side rail of the vehicle and thence into an annular chamberdepending below said fioor,

' filtering said airras itenters said chamber, .dis-.

( zontal air passageway therebetween, means charging said air upwardlyout of said chamber, deflecting the air as it is discharged upwardly tomove it horizontally into said passageway, and

' heating said air. at a point intermediate said chamber and saiddefiecting means.

12. In a vehicle having a heater disposed beneaththe seat thereof,air-circulating means therefor comprising a chamber depending belowcharging'the same'upwardly, and heating means beneath said seat throughwhich said discharged air passes into said horizontal passageway.

' 8. In a vehicle having a floor, a seat having its defining achamberdepending from said floor and having a laterally extending inlet,an annular. air filter in said chamber, a i'an' mounted vertically insaid chamber within said filter for draw- 'base disposed above saidfloor to define a horizontal air passageway therebetween. me'ansing airfrom said inlet-through said filter and discharging the sameupwardly,.-and' heating and having a laterally extending inlet,anannular air filter in said chainberfla i'an' mounted verv ticaily insaid chamber within said filter for draw:

ing air from saidinlet through'said filter and dis charging the sameupwardly, and heating means intermediate said chamber. and passagewayair passes into means having a fioor board provided with an openingtherethrough, said heater comprising a dependsaid heater having acentral air passage therein defined by an annular filter, a fansupported in the upper end of said chamber coaxially within said filter,an annular air-space surrounding said filter andhaving a laterallyextending inlet duct 1 opening out at the side of the vehicle, anddefiectingmeans above said heater'for directing the air drawn throughsaid inlet past saidfilter and discharged through said heaterhorizontally beneath said seat. 13. An underseat heater for anautomobile ing support secured to the undersuriace of said fioor boardabout said. opening, an annular air filter carried by saidheater anddefining a'cylin-. dricalchamber below the fioor board in line with saidopening, air inlet means communicating with fEthe' exterior of saidfilter, a fan motor disposed centrally in said chamber and having aver!10. The combination; in a vehicie'bavingia tically extending shaft,- afan on said shaft above said motor for drawing air through said filter,and heating means disposed above said filter for heating the' air drawnthrough said chamber by'said fan. q GEORGE E; ONISHI' ALBERT NORM N,

